Volume 32
Issue 5

We demonstrate an alignment technology using an imprinting process on an inorganic NiOx film. The aligned nanopattern was fabricated on a silicon wafer by laser interference lithography. The aligned nano pattern was then imprinted onto the sol-gel driven NiOx film using an imprinting process at an annealing temperature of $150^{\circ}C$. After the imprinting process, parallel grooves had been formed on the NiOx film. Atomic force microscopy and water contact angle measurements were performed to confirm the parallel groove on the NiOx film. The grooves caused liquid crystal alignment through geometric restriction, similar to grooves formed by the rubbing process on polyimide. The liquid crystal cell exhibited a pretilt angle of $0.2^{\circ}$, which demonstrated homogeneous alignment.

Although there is no strict definition of a power semiconductor device, a general description is a semiconductor that has capability to control more than 1 W of electricity. Integrated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), which are power semiconductors, are widely used in voltage ranges above 300 V and are especially popular in high-efficiency, high-speed power systems. In this paper, the size of the gate was adjusted to test the variation in the yield voltage characteristics by measuring the electric field concentration under the trench gate. After the experiment Synopsys' TCAD was used to analyze the efficiency of threshold voltage, on-state voltage drop, and breakdown voltage by measuring the P- region and its size under the gate.

In this paper, a single N+ emitter trench gate-type insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device was studied using T-CAD, in order to achieve a low on-state voltage drop (Vce-sat) and high breakdown voltage, which would reduce power loss and device reliability. Using the simulation, the threshold voltage, breakdown voltage, and on-state voltage drop were studied as a function of the temperature, the length of time in the diffusion process (drive-in) after implant, and the trench gate depth. During the drive-in process, a $20^{\circ}C$ change in temperature from 1,000 to $1,160^{\circ}C$ over a 150 minute time frame resulted in a 1 to 4 V change in the threshold voltage and a 24 to 2.6 V change in the on-state voltage drop. As a result, a 0.5 um change in the trench depth of 3.5 to 7.5 um resulted in the breakdown voltage decreasing from 802 to 692 V.

Developing a thin-film transistor with characteristics such as a large area, high mobility, and high reliability are key elements required for the next generation on displays. In this paper, we have investigated the research trends related to improving the reliability of oxide-semiconductor-based thin-film transistors, which are the primary focus of study in the field of optical displays. It has been reported that thermal treatment in a high-pressure oxygen atmosphere reduces the threshold voltage shift from -7.1 V to -1.9 V under NBIS. Additionally, a device with a $SiO_2/Si_3N_4$ dual-structure has a lower threshold voltage (-0.82 V) under NBIS than a single-gate-insulator-based device (-11.6 V). The dual channel structure with different oxygen partial pressures was also confirmed to have a stable threshold voltage under NBIS. These can be considered for further study to improve the NBIS problem.

In this work, we evaluated the structural, electrical and optical properties of $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ and Cu-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ thin films prepared by rf-magnetron reactive sputtering. The 200-nm-thick deposited films were annealed in a range of $100{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ using a furnace in an $N_2$ atmosphere. The amorphous-to-crystalline phase changes of the thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis-IR spectrophotometry, a 4-point probe, and a source meter. A one-step phase transformation from amorphous to face-centered-cubic (fcc) and an increase of the crystallization temperature ($T_c$) was observed in the Cu-doped film, which indicates an enhanced thermal stability in the amorphous state. The difference in the optical energy band gap ($E_{op}$) between the amorphous and crystalline phases was relatively large, approximately 0.38~0.41 eV, which is beneficial for reducing the noise in the memory devices. The sheet resistance($R_s$) of the amorphous phase in the Cu-doped film was about 1.5 orders larger than that in undoped film. A large $R_s$ in the amorphous phase will reduce the programming current in the memory device. An increase of threshold voltage ($V_{th}$) was seen in the Cu-doped film, which implied a high thermal efficiency. This suggests that the Cu-doped $Ge_8Sb_2Te_{11}$ thin film is a good candidate for PRAM.

The alignment characteristics of liquid crystal (LC) molecules on a solution-derived lanthanum zinc oxide (LZO) film under ion-beam irradiation were demonstrated. Using the solution process, an LZO film was fabricated on the glass substrate and cured at $100^{\circ}C$. Afterwards, ion-beam irradiation was performed following the LC alignment method. Using this film, an LC cell was fabricated and the characteristics of the LC alignment were verified. Cross polarizing microscopy and the crystal rotation method were used to investigate the alignment state of the LC molecules on the LZO films. Furthermore, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to explore the effect of the ion-beam irradiation on the LZO film. Through these, it was confirmed that the ion-beam irradiation induced surface modification, which demonstrated anisotropic physical and chemical surface characteristics. Due to this, uniform LC alignment was achieved. Finally, the residual DC and anchoring energy of the LC cell based on the LZO films were measured using a capacitance-voltage curve.

$Dy^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$-co-doped $La_2MoO_6$ phosphor thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at various growth temperatures. The phosphor thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectrometry. The optical transmittance, absorbance, bandgap, and photoluminescence intensity of the $La_2MoO_6$ phosphor thin films were found to depend on the growth temperature. The XRD patterns demonstrated that all the phosphor thin films, irrespective of growth temperatures, had a tetragonal structure. The phosphor thin film deposited at a growth temperature of $100^{\circ}C$ indicated an average transmittance of 85.3% in the 400~1,100 nm wavelength range and a bandgap energy of 4.31 eV. As the growth temperature increased, the bandgap energy gradually decreased. The emission spectra under ultraviolet excitation at 268 nm exhibited an intense red emission line at 616 nm and a weak emission line at 699 nm due to the $^5D_0{\rightarrow}^7F_2$ and $^5D_0{\rightarrow}^7F_4$ transitions of the $Eu^{3+}$ ions, respectively, and also featured a yellow emission band at 573 nm, resulting from the $^4F_{9/2}{\rightarrow}^6H_{13/2}$ transition of the $Dy^{3+}$ ions. The results suggest that $La_2MoO_6$ phosphor thin films can be used as light-emitting layers for inorganic thin film electroluminescent devices.

A poly[bis(4-butypheny)-bis(phenyl)benzidine] (poly-TPD) and poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) bilayer was employed as a hole transport layer (HTL) in solution-processed CdSe/ZnS quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). The thickness of the PVK layer spin-coated onto the poly-TPD layer, whose thickness was fixed to 40 nm, was varied, with PVK layer thicknesses of 0 nm, 35 nm, 45 nm, and 55 nm. Because the thickness of the PVK can determine the hole transport properties of the HTL, a PVK thickness that maximizes the performance of the HTL for the QLEDs was investigated. By employing the optimized PVK thickness of 45 nm, the current efficiency of the QLED exhibited a 1.74 times improvement when compared with that of the QLED with poly-TPD based HTL without PVK. This was mainly attributed to the decrease in the energy barrier between the HTL and the quantum dot (QD) emitting layer (EML).

The electromagnetic properties of heavy fermion $CePd_2Si_2$ are investigated using density functional theory using the local density approximation (LDA) and LDA+U methods. The Ce f-bands are located near the Fermi energy and hybridized with the Pd-3d states. This hybridization plays an important role in generating the physical characteristics of this compound. The magnetic moment of $CePd_2Si_2$ calculated within the LDA scheme does not match with the experimental result because of the strong correlation interaction between the f orbitals. The calculation shows that the specific heat coefficient underestimates the experimental value by a factor of 5.98. This discrepancy is attributed to the formation of quasiparticles. The exchange interaction between the local f electrons and the conduction d electrons is the reason for the formation of quasiparticles. The exchange interaction is significant in $CePd_2Si_2$, which makes the quasiparticle mass increase. This enhances the specific heat coefficient.

We prepared yarned carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers from a CNT forest synthesized on a Si wafer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The yarned CNT fibers were thermally annealed to reduce their resistance by removing the amorphous carbonaceous impurities present in the fibers. The resistance of the yarned CNT fiber gradually decreased with an increase in the annealing temperature from $200^{\circ}C$ to $400^{\circ}C$ but increased again above $450^{\circ}C$. We carried out thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to confirm the burning properties of the amorphous carbonaceous impurities and the crystalline CNTs present in the fibers. The pattern of the mass change of the sample CNT fibers was very similar to that of the resistance change. We conclude that CNT fibers should be thermally annealed at temperatures below $400^{\circ}C$ for reducing and stabilizing their resistance.

In this paper, the changes in the electrical characteristics (arc energy, contact resistance, and bouncing phenomenon) due to the deterioration of the contact are analyzed. The results are generally consistent and can be analyzed for contact deterioration. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the arc energy is linearly related to the current when the contact samples and the voltage conditions are the same. The contact resistance varies due to multiple factors, but is generally within a certain range, and the contact deterioration can be determined. Contact stabilization can be detected by the decrease in the bouncing phenomenon due to deterioration (the change of the shape of the contact).

In this study, the volume resistivity of XLPE materials with various voltage ratings was discussed. The volume resistivity of the developed XPLE nanocomposite was measured, and the conductivity mechanism of the material was also examined. The ASTM D 257 and IEC 60093 measurement methods were used for these tests. The equipment was designed to measure up to a temperature of $200^{\circ}C$, and the electrode structure was designed to maintain the thickness and temperature uniformity of the sample. The conductivity of the sample decreased with temperature, and the samples reached saturation within 500s, after which the conductivity leveled off. By analyzing the current density and the electric field, we can well explain the electric conductivity behavior of our sample with the Schottky mechanism.

A piezoelectric ceramic fiber composite (PCFC) was successfully fabricated using $0.69Pb(Zr_{0.47}Ti_{0.53})O_3-0.31[Pb(Zn_{0.4}Ni_{0.6})_{1/3}Nb_{2/3}]O_3$ (PZT-PZNN) for use in small-scale wind energy harvesters. The PCFC was formed using an epoxy matrix material and an array of Ag/Pd-coated PZT-PZNN piezo-ceramic fibers sandwiched by Cu interdigitated electrode patterned polyethylene terephthalate film. The energy harvesting performance was evaluated in a custom-made wind tunnel while varying the wind speed and resistive load with two types of flutter wind energy harvesters. One had a five-PCFC array vertically clamped with a supporting acrylic rod while the other used the same structure but with a five-PCFC cantilever array. Stainless steel (thickness: $50{\mu}m$) was attached onto one side of the PCFC to form the PZT-PZNN cantilever. The output power, in general, increased with an increase in the wind speed from 2 m/s to 10 m/s for both energy harvesters. The highest output power of $15.1{\mu}W$ at $14k{\Omega}$ was obtained at a wind speed of 10 m/s for the flutter wind energy harvester with the PZT-PZNN cantilever array. The results presented here reveal the strong potential for wind energy harvester applications to supply sustainable power to various IoT micro-devices.

In this study, we report the effect of pre-treatment of alpha-$Ga_2O_3$ grown on a sapphire substrate by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). During the pre-treatment process, 10 sccm of GaCl gas was injected to the sapphire substrate at $470^{\circ}C$. The surface morphologies of the alpha-$Ga_2O_3$ layers grown with various pre-treatment time (3, 5, and 10 min) were flat and crack-free. The transmittance of the alpha-$Ga_2O_3$ epi-layers was measured to analyze their optical properties. The transmittance was over 80% within the range of visible light. The strain in the alpha-$Ga_2O_3$ grown with a pre-treat 5 min was measured, and was found to be close to the theoretical XRD peak position. This can be explained by the reduction of strain having caused a lattice mismatch between the alpha-$Ga_2O_3$ layer and sapphire substrate. The calculated dislocation density of the screw and edge were $2.5{\times}10^5cm^{-2}$ and $8.8{\times}10^9cm^{-2}$, respectively.

In this study, we produced a light, flexible, wearable gas sensor by depositing MWCNTs (Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes) into nylon. MWCNTs are widely used as a gas sensor material due to their excellent mechanical, electrical and physical characteristics. We produced a gas sensor to detect NOx gases by depositing nylon yarn in a MWCNT solution. The MWCNT solution was made by mixing 3 mg MWCNT in 5 ml of ethanol. Nylon yarn was placed in the manufactured solution and ultrasonic waves were applied using an ultrasonicator for 3 h, resulting in MCWNT deposition. The MWCNT-deposited nylon yarn was dried at room temperature for 24 h. The MWCNT-thin-film-coated nylon yarn was masked 1 mm apart, and gold was then deposited on the masked nylon yarn to create the gas sensor. The sensor then was installed in a chamber with a controlled atmospheric environment and exposed to NOx gas. The changing signal from the sensor was amplified to analyze its gas detection characteristics.